It’s A$AP Rocky! His kind of music describes him weird but loved by fans for his stardom couldn’t have been ignored even as raw as he gets lyrically! He’s cloud rapper (cloud rap -hip-hop sub-genre), East Coast Hip Hop, Pop Rap, Trap Rap, Hardcore Hip Hop and Alternative R&B artist whose artistry is different from classic NYC street rap in his words. I remember him say “I feel like I’m one of the best artists out right now,” in a cover story in May of this year.
Well! It’s clear A$AP Rocky has come a long way talking stardom. He’s expanded his reach and influence through fashion, film, directing, among other ventures. There’s always finesse to his music delivery. He once said” I remember when I got a hundred for recordings/Now the sum of my performances just put me on the Forbes list.” He’s said to be the most successful member of Harlem’s A$AP Mob as well.
Absolutely! A bit of background to A$AP Mob crew here! It’s an American hip hop collective formed in 2006, in Harlem, New York, by members ASAP Yams, ASAP Bari and ASAP Illz. Basically It’s a collective of MCs, producers, video directors and designers who share similar interests in music, fashion, style and art. Members were New York-based rappers, most of whom carry the “ASAP” moniker such as ASAP Rocky, ASAP Ferg, ASAP Twelvyy, ASAP Nast and ASAP Ant among other associated acts. A$AP to them meant ‘Always Strive and Prosper’. Long story short, In 2007, the crew alongside A$AP Rock started their career on the internet generating buzz that no radio station nor record label could ignore.
A$AP Rocky was born Rakim Mayers in Harlem, New York on October 3, 1987. Mayers started rapping at the age of 9, when he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He learned how to rap from his older brother. When A$AP Rocky was was 12 years old, his father went to jail in connection with selling drugs; he died in 2012. When he was 13, his brother was killed in Harlem. The death inspired Rocky to take rapping more seriously. After living for a period in a shelter with his mother in New York City, he moved to midtown Manhattan. and joined A$AP Mob crew in 2007.
In July 2011, Rocky released “Purple Swag” and “Peso” and signed a three million dollar deal with RCA-Polo Grounds in 2011. But after Peso video release, his stardom was something that couldn’t be ignored. The same year he had a major-label bidding war that began even before he had released his first mixtape, Live.Love.A$AP. That same year, he signed to the Sony/RCA subdivision of Polo Grounds Music for $3 million
Peso
Released in August 2011. The video promoted A$AP Rocky’s name being the first time a lot of people heard him . He got a -3 million dollar deal with RCA-Polo Grounds. He made shout-outs to his crew’s mastermind, the late ASAP Yams. Such a great song and a masterful, concise introduction to Rocky’s persona. In the song, Rocky makes an appearance as a singer, rapper, director and producer.
He started with his 2011 breakout mixtape Live.Love.A$AP with many guests included Kendrick Lamar, Florence Welch, 2 Chainz, Joey Bada$$, Santigold and A$AP Ferg. The album topped the Billboard 200 chart while F****n’ Problems” —last track on the album was biggest hit peaking a no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, selling 3 million copies in the U.S. alone. 2013 wa quite challenging. He lost his father in December 2012 and his brother in 2013
In 2015, his 2nd album :At.Long.Last.A$AP’ saw a change of direction. At.Long.Last.A$AP wMay 26, 2015. Co-produced by the eclectic Grammy-winning super-producer Danger. Guest appearances such as Kanye West, Future, MIA, Mark Ronson among other top notch celebrities.ASAP Rocky’s third studio album is Testing released on May 25 2018.
Since his career he’s released three solo albums and a number of Mixtapes: Deep Purple, LiveLoveA$AP LiveLoveA$AP (Slim K Chopped & Screwed Remix) [remixes] in 2011 while Beauty and the Beast: Slowed down Sessions (Chapter 1) in 2015
LSD (Love,Sex and Dream
Praise The Lord (Da Shine) Featuring Skepta (off 3rd album) Peaked at #45 on 6.9.2018
He likes experiment “I prefer to experiment and have my crowd grow with me and to reach new crowds. I don’t just rap — I actually make music.
“F***in’ Problems.” featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar
It’s his second single off of his album Long.Live and his first claim to fame in hip-hop. The song reached high up on the charts in multiple countries including #8 on the Billboard US Rap charts. It’s a banger that displays that Rocky can rap alongside some of the biggest names. produced by Drake’s personal producer 40. Grammy Awards 2014 Nominated for Best Rap Song
ASAP ROCKY ALBUMS: A$AP Rocky has been moving up from 2007 when he began. He’s been a go-to feature for his rap peers (Tyler, the Creator, Schoolboy Q) and pop stars alike (Selena Gomez, etc)
He’s got classic mixtape Live.Love.A$AP in October of 2011 and his debut album Long.Live.A$AP in January of 2013. At. Long. Last. ASAP in 2015 and Testing in 2018
About His Sound
ASAP Rocky’s sound has been mostly described asCloud Rap: the sound started life in the late-00s . It’s sort of products of AR’s environment, referencing the musical identity of NYC region where artists meet, share influences, and collaborate. Cloud rap came from a very different place.
Major players of such sound is Clams Casino, Lil B, A$AP Rocky and his A$AP Mob crew, Yung Lean, and Main Attrakionz. But the influence of the cloud rap sound has been felt from the mainstream artists like Rihanna, Beyonce and, in particular, The Weeknd have shown its influence. RiRi even appeared in a video version of A$AP Rocky’s Friendzone-produced Fashion Killa. More recently, R&B stars SZA and Miguel have taken sonic elements of cloud rap in new neo-soul directions, while XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, and Smokepurp keep its spirit alive in noisier, angstier ways.
List of awards and nominations received by ASAP
Grammy Awards: Nominated twice: 2014 “Fuckin’ Problems” Best Rap Song: 2016 “LSD” Best Music Video Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards nominated: 2012 “Goldie” Best Editing, 2013 “Fuckin’ Problems” Best Hip-Hop Video and 2015 “L$D” Best Editing Nominated
Won MTV Video Music Awards Japan in 2013 “Fuckin’ Problems” Best Hip-Hop Video
“Fuckin’ Problems” nominated World’s Best Song as well as World’s Best Video while nominated Long. Live. ASAP World’s Best Album…
He’s won 5 awards and 28 nominations in total
Conclusion
A$AP Rocky has been putting in work since the beginning of his career. Now, either seen as “As Soon As Possible” or as ‘Always Strive and Prosper’. he’s has proven to be both living up to the meaning. A$AP isn’t the only member of the cloud rap crew who’s moved on to bigger and better things
Rocky isn’t just a hip-hop artist, or a fashion icon, director, visionary, producer and tastemaker. A$AP Rocky has put out quality music in his career and has worked with the likes of Drake, Lana Del Rey, Florence Welch, Skrillex and Kendrick Lamar.
$AP Rocky’s story of selling drugs while moving around homeless shelters with his mother and sister didn’t take away the life desired away from him. Don’t give up www.theboxshowafrica.com
